Moscow Exchange, or Moskovskaya Birzha MMVB-RTS PAO (MCX:MOEX), announces that, effective March 1, 2021, trading on its FX and Derivatives markets will open at 7 am MSK.

This extends by three hours the trading day on these markets, which currently operate from 10:00 am to 11:50 pm MSK, bringing the trading day up to almost 17 hours. The change is in line with plans announced by the Moscow Exchange in August 2020.

The new trading hours create new opportunities on MOEX’s markets. Clients in the Asia-Pacific region as well as eastern regions of Russia will benefit from expanded access to on-exchange trading. Investors will be able to respond more quickly to changes in global markets and take advantage of additional trading and arbitrage opportunities in the morning hours.

In addition, the extended trading day opens up more possibilities for MOEX to cooperate with trading venues and investors across Asia.

Igor Marich, member of the Executive Board and Managing Director for Sales and Business Development at Moscow Exchange, said:

“Russia’s FX and Derivatives Markets are part of global capital markets, which operate round the clock. Extending our trading hours creates a number of new benefits for investors. The longer morning session will make it easier for investors across Asia – including Hong Kong, Singapore, India and China, where we see strong interest in the Russian market – to trade on the MOEX platform. Clients from eastern regions of Russia can choose more convenient times for trading.

“Russia already offers investors one of the longest trading days among global marketplaces, with MOEX’s Equity, FX and Derivatives Markets currently operating 14 hours per day. From March, this will extend even further, as our FX and Derivatives Markets will be open for trading 17 hours per day.”

The Moscow Exchange FX Market has been operating since 1992. The Exchange currently offers trading in 17 currency pairs, and market ADTV in 2020 was RUB 1.3 trillion. MOEX’s share of the total FX trading volume on the Russian interbank currency market is 58% for USD/RUB and 68% for EUR/RUB.